DAZ Studio Pro BETA - version 4.6.3.29!

DAZ 3D is pleased to announce the next public version of the DAZ Studio Pro BETA - version 4.6.3.29!

What is a BETA?

Despite our best efforts, DAZ 3D cannot possibly test the software under all possible conditions. So, we are providing a version of the application to the general public in order to uncover problems that were not discovered during internal/private testing. We expect that there will still be problems and we hope that when users encounter any problems, they will report them to the Bug Tracker so that they can be validated, prioritized and fixed.

As with any software classified as being in the BETA phase of development, you should expect to encounter bugs. Any bugs you do encounter while using BETA software can vary in terms of severity, from minor features that do not work correctly to problems that cause your computer to crash. Before choosing to use BETA software for production purposes, you should decide whether the benefit of new features and bug fixes provided by the BETA version outweighs the risk of instability you may encounter.

Another Public Build, so soon?

Yes. We want to provide access to builds that fix issues you may have encountered in the General Release, earlier and more frequently. Obviously we realize that there are users who don't have an interest in using BETA software (see above). However, we also realize that there are many who are willing to use BETA software in order to gain access to fixes and/or new features, earlier.

Public Build, BETA, what is the difference?

Public Build is a release channel. BETA is a phase of development.

DAZ Studio is distributed through four separate channels; Production, Public Build, Private Build and Dev. The Production channel is where the General Release build is distributed and is open to the general public. The Public Build channel is where the builds that are not considered stable yet are provided for testing by the general public; this channel typically provides a build that is in the BETA phase of development, but technically can provide a build in the ALPHA phase. The Private Build channel is similar to the Public Build channel, except it is limited to a select group of individuals that serve as the "front line" or the "canary in a coal mine" for a time before the build is promoted to a less restricted channel; this channel is more likely to see an ALPHA build than the Public Build channel is. The Dev channel is for a much smaller group of individuals; this channel provides "bleeding edge" ALPHA builds; sometimes referred to as "nightly", although the builds are not limited to one per night nor to strictly occurring at night.

Will this Public Build replace the General Release?

While builds in the Public Build channel do eventually replace the build in the Production channel, the existence of a public build does not preclude builds that are currently in the Private Build channel from replacing the General Release before one in the Public Build channel does. One of the reasons we provide a Public Build channel is to gain broader coverage of the various fixes/additions. Sometimes fixes/additions in the Public Build channel are validated more quickly than others and can be integrated into the Production channel while the remaining, more risky, changes are allowed to "bake" a while longer.

What is new in this version? Do I need to update my copy?

The 4.6.3.29 version resolves many issues and implements many improvements since the 4.6.2.120 General Release. More detail on specific fixes/changes/improvements can be found in the Change Log, which can be viewed online within the Documentation Center portion of our site. All new downloads of the DAZ Studio Pro BETA product (SKU: 12000) will be of this version.

Public BETA 1 (4.6.3.29) highlights are:1) Added support for using PostgreSQL as CMS; set port and cluster path in Edit > Preferences…; fall back to Valentina if PostgreSQL is not installed [via Install Manager]2) Added Start/Stop CMS actions to Content Library option menu; PostgreSQL only3) Added “Start CMS” button to Smart Content views when the CMS is not running; PostgreSQL only4) Added indeterminate progress for long database maintenance actions5) Categories and Products top-level containers are now omitted if no active database exists6) Added drag/drop support from the Content Library pane to the Smart Content pane and to Preset pages of the Posing, Shaping, Surfaces, Lights and Cameras panes7) Updated Qt framework to 4.8.58) Updated 3Delight to 11.0.479) Extended Interactive Lesson support; docked view controls, view option menu items, dialogs, etc10) Added a coarse progress indicator to Interactive Lessons11) Added the ability to duplicate an object; single object or object and its children12) Added support for merging a figure that is fit to another figure, into that figure13) Added filtering to the Scene pane14) Added weight map support to the push modifier; via push modifier weight node15) Added vertex and edge selection; via Geometry Editor tool - replaces Polygon Group Editor tool16) Added/extended various actions to work with expanded geometry selection capabilities17) Added support for Selection Sets; via Geometry Editor tool18) Significantly improved the speed of polygon selection; now uses a "brush" to "paint" selection instead of singular picking19) Reduced memory consumption of TriAx weight mapping20) Improved speed of applying TriAx weight mapping21) Added support for preserving ngons22) Refactored the About Installed Plugins listview; non-registrable plugins are listed at the top-level; registrable plugins are listed according to the serial prefix(es) that can be used to register a given plugin; if a plugin can be registered by itself, it exists as a top level item; if a plugin can be registered as part of a bundle, it exists as a sub-item to the bundle, which exists as the top level item; only top level items now provide a serial entry field and have a shop button23) Added a viewport thirds guide; viewport option menu24) Rendering OpenGL Preview now uses the active DrawStyle instead of forcing Texture Shaded; allows for Wireframe renders25) Layered Image Presets that only define one layer will now add the layer to an existing image26) Fixed an issue with images running tdlmake unnecessarily27) Fixed issues with layered images refreshing [from disk]28) Re-enabled support for the Application Improvement Program

Has the Content Management Service (CMS) been improved?
Yes, it has. The existing Valentina based service is still included and supported, however a new PostgreSQL based service is proving itself to be much more stable and much less prone to the data corruption issues that many have experienced in the past. The new PostgreSQL based service has also proven to be somewhat faster.

With this new solution, there is no longer a need to start a service that runs in the background. Normally, the PostgreSQL server starts when the application starts and stops when the application stops; unless another application, like Install Manager, is connected to it - in which case it will stop when the last application connected to it closes. Explicit control to start the service is provided via an action [in the Content Library pane option menu] and a button [in the Smart Content pane] without ever needing to leave the application. Explicit control to stop the service is also provided via an action [in the Content Library pane option menu].

To help get you up and running with the new PostgreSQL service, we've added a separate package in Install Manager that will automatically migrate any existing data from your Valentina database; you simply install it after the PostgreSQL server is installed. The amount of time required to migrate the data will vary depending on the amount of data you have and your system specs.

*Note:The PostgreSQL CMS and the data conversion package are not available as a standalone installers. They must be downloaded and installed using Install Manager. While the PostgreSQL server is installed, Install Manager will not install any data to the Valentina database.

What is the Application Improvement Program about?
It's about improving the DAZ Studio user experience. Support tickets and bug reports provide important clues as to the needs of you the customer, but they are only hints. This improvement program will allow us to to "see" how the features of DAZ Studio are actually performing and where users are getting hung up.

If you choose to participate in the program, the statistics we will collect are anonymous and contain no personally identifiable information. We respect your right to privacy. That said, if you choose not to participate, we respect that too.

We encourage you to participate. In doing so, your use of the application will have a greater influence on where we focus our efforts.

Has the Genesis Starter Essentials, the Genesis 2 Starter Essentials (Male/Female), or the Default Lights and Shaders packages been updated too?

No, the Genesis Starter Essentials, Genesis 2 Starter Essentials or Default Lights and Shaders packages provided with the product have NOT been updated beyond what is currently available with the General Release.

*Note:Install Manager users are notified of product updates when they occur.

How do I get the latest version?

If you have previously added the DAZ Studio Pro BETA product to your account, launch Install Manager, log into your account and type "DAZ Studio * Public Build" into the filter field to filter out anything else. Then simply download and install as you would normally.

*Note:The current version of Install Manager has a new Public Build download filter that is disabled by default. You must enable this download filter to see packages in your Ready to Download list that are tagged PublicBuild.

Optionally, you can locate, download and install the BETA from the Product Library [once you are logged into your account] by entering "DAZ Studio Pro BETA" into the text field near the top left of the page and clicking the "Filter" button, or by clicking here. Then, simply click the "download & install" button.

If this is your first time downloading DAZ Studio Pro BETA, simply follow this link, click the "Add to Cart" button on the page and then follow the checkout process.

*Note:This BETA version is not available as a standalone installer. It must be downloaded and installed using Install Manager. This does not impact the General Release, which will be made available through Install Manager as well as a standalone installer.

Can I have the General Release and the BETA installed at the same time?

Yes! You can have both the General Release and a Public Build (as well as a Private Build, for those involved in that endeavor), of the same major version, installed at the same time. Please be aware that the settings for each of the builds are stored independent of each other. This includes mapped content directories, layout, style and style colors, among many others.

What about the plugins I have?

The DAZ Studio 4.5 SDK has not changed in any way that causes it to be binary incompatible, which means that any plugins created for a previous version of DAZ Studio (4.5.0.114+) should continue to load and function with this build. That said, as with any new release, there is always the possibility that a plugin has had bugs fixed or features added, so the latest versions should be downloaded and installed if they are provided.

Plugins that are currently built/produced by DAZ 3D will provide a separate package specifically intended for the Public Build. 3rd party plugins that DAZ 3D creates install packages for will be updated to allow simultaneous installation into the General Release and the Public/Private builds. These packages will display as "Product Updates" within Install Manager once they have been updated.

Comments

It's such a crazily geeky thing to get excited about. :) I also am hopeful and excited about the organization possibilities of dragging and dropping from content library to smart content, for managing my own collections!

12) Added support for merging a figure that is fit to another figure, into that figure

So...if I have a shirt, it's fit to a G2F character, and I want to fit something else over both, I could merge the shirt to the character, then fit something else to G2F and it would 'incorporate' that shirt's polys as part of the fit?

Oooh, thirds guides! Oooh, wireframe renders! I like it!

-- Morgan
[Edit: Pause for breath... Wait, where does the PostgreSQL database get stored? Is there even the vaguest possibility of pointing it to my own PGSQL instance, so I can share the CMS between computers?]

The PostgreSQL does not start on my Mac installation. Start CMS manually also does not works. Fallback works as mentioned, if I uninstall PostgreSQL, DS Beta uses Valentina.

How can I start the new CMS?

When you launch either Install Manager or DAZ Studio it should automatically launch. We have run into issues where it does not launch from DAZ Studio if you have just closed Install Manager, of just closed DAZ Studio and it hasn't finished its clean up before you launch/relaunch DAZ Studio.

Could that be what is happening here?

Also note the external start and stop CMS is for Valentina and not for PostgreSQL. (The ones from start or in the folder, not the ones in DAZ Studio.)

A couple quick things about drag and drop. If you have an item in your scene selected, like Genesis 2 Female, and select an item in your Content Library tab, like a clothing item you converted from Genesis 2 Male using the Genesis 2 Cross-Figure Resource Kit, then drag and drop into the correct category on your Smart Content tab, it will automatically be associated with the item selected in the scene. If it does not have a content type, then you will be prompted to add a Content type for it.

It's such a crazily geeky thing to get excited about. :) I also am hopeful and excited about the organization possibilities of dragging and dropping from content library to smart content, for managing my own collections!

12) Added support for merging a figure that is fit to another figure, into that figure

So...if I have a shirt, it's fit to a G2F character, and I want to fit something else over both, I could merge the shirt to the character, then fit something else to G2F and it would 'incorporate' that shirt's polys as part of the fit?

Oooh, thirds guides! Oooh, wireframe renders! I like it!

-- Morgan
[Edit: Pause for breath... Wait, where does the PostgreSQL database get stored? Is there even the vaguest possibility of pointing it to my own PGSQL instance, so I can share the CMS between computers?]

The PostgreSQL does not start on my Mac installation. Start CMS manually also does not works. Fallback works as mentioned, if I uninstall PostgreSQL, DS Beta uses Valentina.

How can I start the new CMS?

When you launch either Install Manager or DAZ Studio it should automatically launch. We have run into issues where it does not launch from DAZ Studio if you have just closed Install Manager, of just closed DAZ Studio and it hasn't finished its clean up before you launch/relaunch DAZ Studio.

Could that be what is happening here?

Also note the external start and stop CMS is for Valentina and not for PostgreSQL. (The ones from start or in the folder, not the ones in DAZ Studio.)

I don't think so. DIM also reports an "Error connecting to CMS". The same message from DS 4.6.3.29 log.

I tried uninstall and re-install the Postgre Package twice. Looking at the Activity Monitor I cannot see the Postgre service running.

Now you can either re-import metadata or exit from Studio and install the Valentina to Postgres conversion package - the conversion is done as part of the install, from the looks of it.

The Conversion is, indeed, done as part of the Install.

If it takes less than about 3 seconds that usually means it did not work due to a corrupt Valentina Database. Reimport Metadata will accomplish the task for you as well, to include your Userdata, if that was exported from the release version of DS.

The PostgreSQL does not start on my Mac installation. Start CMS manually also does not works. Fallback works as mentioned, if I uninstall PostgreSQL, DS Beta uses Valentina.

How can I start the new CMS?

When you launch either Install Manager or DAZ Studio it should automatically launch. We have run into issues where it does not launch from DAZ Studio if you have just closed Install Manager, of just closed DAZ Studio and it hasn't finished its clean up before you launch/relaunch DAZ Studio.

Could that be what is happening here?

Also note the external start and stop CMS is for Valentina and not for PostgreSQL. (The ones from start or in the folder, not the ones in DAZ Studio.)

I don't think so. DIM also reports an "Error connecting to CMS". The same message from DS 4.6.3.29 log.

I tried uninstall and re-install the Postgre Package twice. Looking at the Activity Monitor I cannot see the Postgre service running.

Let me know if I can try any other trick.

I have seen something similar when there was a crash on Install.
You can try this.
1. Shut Down DS and/or Install Manager and give it time to exit.
2. Kill the still running PostgreSQL instances.
3. Open Install Manager and see if PostgreSQL is installed, if it is uninstall it.
4. Reinstall PostgreSQL.

If that doesn't work please file a ticket so we can work with you one on one and get it cleared up for you.

It's such a crazily geeky thing to get excited about. :) I also am hopeful and excited about the organization possibilities of dragging and dropping from content library to smart content, for managing my own collections!

12) Added support for merging a figure that is fit to another figure, into that figure

So...if I have a shirt, it's fit to a G2F character, and I want to fit something else over both, I could merge the shirt to the character, then fit something else to G2F and it would 'incorporate' that shirt's polys as part of the fit?

Oooh, thirds guides! Oooh, wireframe renders! I like it!

-- Morgan
[Edit: Pause for breath... Wait, where does the PostgreSQL database get stored? Is there even the vaguest possibility of pointing it to my own PGSQL instance, so I can share the CMS between computers?]

The PostgreSQL does not start on my Mac installation. Start CMS manually also does not works. Fallback works as mentioned, if I uninstall PostgreSQL, DS Beta uses Valentina.

How can I start the new CMS?

When you launch either Install Manager or DAZ Studio it should automatically launch. We have run into issues where it does not launch from DAZ Studio if you have just closed Install Manager, of just closed DAZ Studio and it hasn't finished its clean up before you launch/relaunch DAZ Studio.

Could that be what is happening here?

Also note the external start and stop CMS is for Valentina and not for PostgreSQL. (The ones from start or in the folder, not the ones in DAZ Studio.)

I don't think so. DIM also reports an "Error connecting to CMS". The same message from DS 4.6.3.29 log.

I tried uninstall and re-install the Postgre Package twice. Looking at the Activity Monitor I cannot see the Postgre service running.

Let me know if I can try any other trick.

I have seen something similar when there was a crash on Install.
You can try this.
1. Shut Down DS and/or Install Manager and give it time to exit.
2. Kill the still running PostgreSQL instances.
3. Open Install Manager and see if PostgreSQL is installed, if it is uninstall it.
4. Reinstall PostgreSQL.

If that doesn't work please file a ticket so we can work with you one on one and get it cleared up for you.

Tried hard. It just does not works. No Postgre process running at all. I filled a Support Ticket and attached DIM and DS logs.